The present invention relates to an automatic processing apparatus used for developing silver halide photosensitive material, and more particularly relates to a compact automatic processing apparatus provided with a replenishing device in which the workability is greatly improved by removing the dissolution work for dissolving a solid processing agent and the accuracy of replenishment is remarkably enhanced.
After silver halide color photosensitive material (referred to as photosensitive material in this specification hereinafter) has been exposed to light, it is subjected to the processing of development, desilvering, washing and stabilization. Monochromatic silver halide photosensitive material is developed and fixed after exposure.
Usually, the photosensitive material is developed by an automatic processing apparatus (referred to as AP or AF in this specification hereinafter), and then automatically sent to each process described above.
When photosensitive material is processed by the automatic processing apparatus, in general, the processing agent is successively replenished into a processing tank in order to maintain the activity of a processing solution in the processing tank.
Specifically, development of the photosensitive material is carried out while the replenishment solution is appropriately supplied into the processing tank from a replenishment tank.
In this case, the replenishment solution stored in the replenishment tank is generally prepared in a different place. In mini-laboratories, which have increased in number recently, when the replenishment solution in the replenishment tank near the automatic processing apparatus has been used up, a predetermined amount of the replenishment solution is prepared. When the replenishment solution is prepared, the solid processing agent is manually dissolved, or automatically dissolved with a mixer.
Commonly, a processing agent for processing silver halide photosensitive material (referred to as a photographic processing agent in this specification hereinafter) is put on the market in the form of condensed liquid. When it is put into practical use, a predetermined amount of water is added to the condensed liquid, and then the mixture is manually stirred and appropriately diluted. In this way, the replenishment solution is prepared.
When the replenishment solution is prepared in the manner described above, it takes time to dissolve the solid processing agent. While the preparation work is being carried out, the solid processing agent is not completely dissolved in the solution. Therefore, in order to prevent a replenishment solution, having a concentration which is different from a predetermined value, from being fed to the processing tank in the mini-laboratory, it is necessary to stop feeding the replenishment solution.
In general, continuous processing of photosensitive material is temporarily stopped, and after the replenishment solution has been prepared, operation is started again. For this reason, the efficiency of continuous processing of photosensitive material is lowered.
From the viewpoint of protecting the natural environment, solidification of the photographic processing agent has been developed recently. For example, solidified photographic processing agents are disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication Open to Public Inspection Nos. 109042/1990, 109043/1990, 39739/1991, 39735/1991, 19655/1992 and 230748/1992.
However, in the case where the replenishment solution is prepared from the above solid processing agent, the dissolution time of the solid processing agent is longer than the dissolution time of the liquid processing agent. Accordingly, the continuous processing operation is stopped over a long period of time, which remarkably reduces the work efficiency. Therefore, it is desired to solve the above problems.
In order to solve the above problems, Japanese Patent Publication Open to Public Inspection Nos. 119454/1993 and 188533/1993 disclose methods by which the solid processing agent is directly dispensed into the processing tank. However, even when the above technique is applied, it is difficult to stably and accurately replenish a predetermined amount of the solid processing agent.
When a predetermined amount of granular, powdery or pellet-shaped solid processing agent is measured and replenished, errors are caused, so that it is difficult to stably and accurately replenish the solid processing agent.
The following are the causes of errors of replenishment amounts.
(a) Liquid is accurately measured with a pump and others. On the other hand, small gaps tend to be formed in powder and granules. Accordingly, it is difficult to accurately measure powder and granules. In order to measure powder and granules with high accuracy, the measuring means becomes expensive. PA1 (b) When moisture is absorbed by the solid processing agent, the volume and weight of the solid processing agent are changed after it has been set in the accommodating container. Accordingly, an error is caused in the supply amount each time. PA1 (c) In the case of conveyance and attachment of the accommodating container, the solid processing agent is rubbed in the accommodating container, so that the granules of the solid processing agent are crushed into minute grains, and sometimes the phenomenon of blocking is caused, so that the specific volume is changed and errors are caused in the replenishment amount. PA1 (d) When the granular solid processing agent in the accommodating container is vibrated in the process of conveyance or charging, granules of high specific gravity and small granules are locally positioned and deposited at the bottom of the container. Therefore, when a predetermined volume of the solid processing agent or a predetermined weight of the solid processing agent is measured and replenished, errors are caused in the replenishment amount each time, thereby causing errors in the total replenishment amount. When a plurality of types of granules or powders are mixed, this phenomenon appears remarkably. PA1 (e) In the case where a plurality of granules are mixed, after the mixture has been set in the accommodating container, the composition deviates gradually, so that an error is caused in the replenishment amount. For example, in the case of a solid processing agent used for replenishment of a color developing solution, after the replenishment operation has been conducted several times, grains of a large size are left in the accommodating container. In other words, a relatively large amount of developing agent is left in the accommodating container. When this developing agent is replenished into the dissolving tank and then a highly dense solid processing agent (alkali agent) of a small grain size is charged into the dissolving tank, the solution is made muddy, and fine particles of precipitation are generated. Due to the precipitation, a filter in the dissolution tank is clogged up. PA1 (f) Errors caused by misoperation and malfunction are not canceled. To make the matter worse, the errors are accumulated. Due to the accumulated error, the replenishment amount can not be accurately controlled, which affects the processing performance of photosensitive material. PA1 (1) The problems of accumulated replenishment errors are solved, and a processing solution of a stable composition is provided. PA1 (2) Even when the deviations of the shape, volume, weight and composition of a solid processing agent are caused by the environmental humidity and vibration given in the process of conveyance, the accumulated replenishment amount error is not generated. PA1 (3) It is not necessary to provide a complicated and precise replenishment device, and the solid processing agent can be replenished using an inexpensive replenishment device. PA1 (4) A sensor means for detecting a residual amount of the solid processing agent in the accommodating container is not required, and a complicated control means is not required either. PA1 (5) Precipitation is not generated in the processing tank, and the filter is not clogged up. Therefore, the replenishment solution is stably circulated in the filter section. Accordingly, processing is uniformly carried out. PA1 (1) one of the solid processing agent accommodating container and the holding means for holding the solid processing agent accommodating container; PA1 (2) a throughput information detection means for detecting the throughput of silver halide photosensitive material; PA1 (3) a solid processing agent supply means for supplying the solid processing agent accommodated in the accommodating container into a processing solution tank of the automatic processing apparatus in accordance with the throughput information; and PA1 (4) a control means for operating the solid processing agent supply means so that the supply of all solid processing agent in the accommodating container can be completed when the area information of photosensitive material corresponding to the solid processing agent accommodated in the accommodating container and the processing area information obtained by the throughput information detecting means are compared with each other and a specific condition is satisfied.